Hospital privatization could impact thousands of state employees

Much of the budget savings associated with the Jindal administration’s privatization of LSU public hospitals comes from a $400 million reduction in funding for employee pay and benefits as hospital workers lose their state jobs across south Louisiana.

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposed $24.7 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, strips funding for hospitals in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, Houma, Bogalusa and Lake Charles, impacting potentially about 5,000 employee jobs.

The hospitals are six of the seven medical facilities under the LSU Health Care Services Division that the Jindal administration wants to turn over to private operation.

The initial current fiscal year budget included $439.2 million for employee salaries and benefits at the seven hospitals and for LSU Health Care Services Division central office staff, according to LSU HCSD records.

More at http://theadvocate.com/home/5385816-125/hospital-privatization-could-impact-thousands .